Birthday Surprise
by Cielita
Summary: Rated for kisses and allusion to a love scene. Minerva thinks that Albus has forgotten her birthday. Happy Birthday, Professor McGonagall!(Oct. 4)This story is a collaboration between myself and Jestana.


"_**Birthday Surprise" **_

By: Cielita and Jestana

A/N: Happy Birthday, Professor McGonagall!!

Minerva McGonagall was sitting at her vanity brushing out her long ebony hair and noticing every one of the silver hairs creeping in with the black ones. She didn't usually devote that much attention to her appearance, but tonight was different. Tonight it was her 75th birthday and no one--not even her usually devoted husband--had bothered to notice or convey birthday wishes. She had done a marvelous job covering up the hurt feelings she received from this treatment, but deep down, she was especially hurt that not even Albus remembered. After all, he had never forgotten before. Minerva stared at her reflection and put down the brush.

"Perhaps his memory is beginning to slip. I mean, after 155 years, something has to start to go I suppose." Minerva murmured to her reflection. She fingered the ends of her hair and lost the battle to keep back her tears, releasing them in a sob that forced her to sit forward and lean her head into her hands, covering her eyes from sight.

Albus Dumbledore, for his part, had not forgotten his wife's birthday. Far from it, in fact. It wasn't every year that you turned 75, after all. In honor of this particular milestone, he'd planned a particularly romantic evening for himself and his wife, and had asked the staff not to say anything, so as to catch Minerva even further off-guard.

As he slipped into her rooms, however, he heard a faint sob come from the bedroom and frowned slightly. It wasn't like Minerva to cry. He wondered if the lack of birthday greetings had hurt her and made his way to the door of her bedroom swiftly. Seeing her shoulders bowed and her face buried twisted his heart and he gently called her name.

"Minerva?"

Minerva sat up suddenly, startled by the presence of her husband and dried her eyes quickly with the back of her hand. Albus depended on her to be strong and as such, she usually maintained her composure. It wasn't like her to cry and she wasn't sure how Albus would react to seeing her weep now.

"Albus! You gave me a start! It's not nice to surprise an old woman," Minerva tried to tease, her voice still a little thick with emotion.

Albus noticed the way she hurried to compose herself, but did not comment upon it. Instead, he moved to stand behind her in front of the mirror as he replied, "I do apologize, my dear, but I don't often get a chance to sneak up on you anymore." He smiled as he kissed the top of her head, savoring the scent of mint and cinnamon that was uniquely her.

Minerva smiled as she indulged the kiss. She reached over her shoulder and covered one of Albus' hands with hers. She did like it when Albus smelled her hair. For some reason, it made her feel like he was trying to memorize her one detail at a time and it warmed her heart. Although, it was not quite enough to remove the idea that he had forgotten her birthday. She took a deep breath to stifle the rest of the tears and looked up at him with her usual adoring eyes. She loved him more than life.

Albus took the brush from her and began to brush out her hair, ignoring the few silver strands he spotted amongst the ebony. "My dear, you have such beautiful hair. Why keep it pulled back all the time?"

"My mother and grandmother always taught me that a lady wears her hair up. it was a symbol of womanhood. When I was little, I was never allowed to wear my hair up. When Arabella was allowed to I pouted and mother told me that a lady may not wear her hair up until she is old enough to knead a loaf of bread. For this, her hair must be up out of the way and from then on, she may put her hair up."

"It also keeps it out of my face when I'm teaching. I cannot very well bend down over a student's desk and have my hair falling over my shoulders, now can I?" Minerva rationalized.

Minerva had always felt that her hair was rather plain. It had never been extraordinary in color or luster and certainly age had diminished both, but on days like today, it felt even plainer still. Minerva nearly sighed out loud. She wished she could snap herself out of this terribly depressed mood.

"Mmm, I can quite see the reason for keeping it up while amongst your students and the staff," Albus mused, now running his fingers through the silky strands. "However, would you mind terribly leaving it down, just for tonight?"

Minerva relaxed back in her chair as Albus ran his hands through her hair. It felt wonderful and worked wonders ameliorating her mood. Minerva concentrated so deeply that she nearly forgot about her birthday. Then she wondered, "Why would Albus ask me to wear it down?" She felt that now was as opportune a time as any to ask the question that burned in her mind. "What's the occasion?"

He smiled as he kissed the top of her head again. "No real reason. I'd just like to see you leave it down." This was a lie. Albus wanted her to leave it down for her birthday dinner, but he didn't want to show his hand too soon.

"I see. Well, I can't very well show up in the Great Hall with my hair like this, can I?" Minerva said, reaching back to pull it up again. "I'll brush it out again after dinner."

"Actually." He stopped her from putting her hair back up. "I've been meaning to ask you to a private dinner in my sitting room tonight." He pulled her hair back and kissed the spot just behind and below her ear that was particularly sensitive. "I kept forgetting to ask, but I hope you don't mind, as it's already prepared and waiting for us."

Minerva whimpered almost inaudibly when his kiss landed behind her ear. "A private dinner you say?" Minerva asked. She was beginning to think that there was more to Albus' request than the style of her hair. "Are you sure that there isn't any occasion? Some impressive affair of state that you managed to moderate?" Minerva replied, smoothing her hair and standing up from the vanity.

"I merely wish to enjoy the company of my lovely wife tonight," Albus explained, finding it increasingly difficult not to wish her a happy birthday.

"Very well," Minerva sighed. She followed Albus through the fireplace and emerged into his sitting room.

Albus waited until Minerva had straightened and brushed the soot off her clothes and hair before stepping aside so she could see the candle-lit table set for two, with a red- and white-checked tablecloth and a bouquet of her favorite flowers upon her plate.

Minerva gasped softly and turned suddenly to Albus, a look of pleased surprise. "Albus!" she gasped. "You did remember!"

He tried to look innocent, but a wide smile insisted on appearing and he drew her to him for a warm kiss. Before it could grow too passionate, he lifted his head to murmur. "Happy birthday, my love."

"Oh, Albus, thank you!" Minerva murmured, wrapping her arms around Albus' neck and kissing him. She was smiling again and now her stomach was starting to growl. Whatever Albus had planned for dinner certainly smelled wonderful.

Albus smiled, letting his fingers trace her spine a few times before escorting her to the table. "I asked the others not to say a word about your birthday, because I wanted to make it memorable in more ways than one." He winked as he helped her take her seat.

Minerva felt her mouth water when she uncovered the dish nearest her and discovered canard a l'orange and sparkling white wine. For entrees there were oysters and Minerva discovered one of them was hiding a substantially large violet pearl. There was strawberry shortcake with extra strawberries and whipped cream for dessert but Minerva had every idea that the night was far from over.

Albus hid his anxiety as he awaited Minerva's reaction to the dinner he'd had the house-elves prepare for them.

Minerva sat back in her chair, dabbed her mouth with her napkin and placed it on her plate. "Albus, everything was wonderful. I could not have imagined a more wonderful birthday dinner.

"There's just one thing more," he told her, having finished his own meal. He waved his hand over her plate and it disappeared, to be replaced by a modest-sized box wrapped in McGonagall tartan wrapping paper.

"Albus, you didn't have to get me anything," Minerva said, blushing.

"Ah, but I wanted to, my dear," he countered with a smile. "Besides, you need something very special for your seventy-fifth birthday." He lifted her hand to his lips to kiss the back. "Please, open your gift."

Inside the box, Minerva discovered a pair of gold hair combs that she had once seen in the storefront window of one of the shops in Hogsmeade. She had told Albus that she liked them, but she knew that they had been prohibitively expensive. The combs were embellished with small ruby and emerald chips, and they glittered in the soft light of the room.

"Albus..." Minerva breathed, too stunned to respond. "They were so expensive!"

"Not too expensive for you, Minerva." He rose and moved behind her to place them in her hair. When he was done, he bent down to whisper, his breath warm on her ear, "Now do you see why I asked that you leave your hair down tonight?"

Minerva shivered as his breath ruffled the tendrils of hair that fell down the side of her head. "I do. I love you, Albus." Minerva murmured, turning to kiss his mouth.

Drawing her close, Albus wasted no time deepening the kiss. When he lifted his head for some much-needed air, he murmured, "I love you, too, Minerva." Kissing her again, he scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. Almost as an afterthought, the remaining whipped cream and strawberries floated after them into the bedroom.

When the bedroom door closed behind them, it was quiet for a few moments and then Minerva giggled. A closer listen would reveal Albus softly whispering in her ear and persistently teasing her with the strawberries and cream. After another period of silence, there was a rustle of material as their clothes hit the floor and then the giggles were replaced with moans of pleasure.

Anything else left of their conscious thought was drowned in the rhythm of their love. Both would sleep soundly till daybreak.

Fin


End file.
